FREE 14 Day Trial Is Now Available for the Odyssey Adventure Club!

 

Think of ways you can enjoy this summer for free:

• Hiking
• Visiting parks in your area
• Swimming
• Camping in your backyard
• Visit a public museum or library

Now, add more fun and imagination to your summer through the Odyssey Adventure Club!

The Odyssey Adventure Club will give you streaming access to more than 800 Adventures in Odyssey episodes plus a sneak peek of exclusive audio and video stories, on-line activities and daily devotions you can’t find anywhere else.

Start a free 14-day trial for your family today and make the summer even more fun!

The Berenstain Bears' Caring and Sharing Treasury by Jan and Mike Berenstain

Zonderkidz has released another collection of Berenstain Bears' books by Jan and Mike Berenstain.  This collection of stories is called Caring and Sharing Treasury.  The stories included in this book are:

Jobs Around Town
Get Involved
Love Their Neighbors
Gossip Gang
Biggest Brag

This collection of books is great for ages 4-8, and includes activities and questions in the back from each of the 5 stories.

I really enjoyed reading these stories.  I liked how each story begins with a Bible verse and then brings up different topics to discuss.  The story promotes a great springboard for conversation with my kids. The Berenstain Bear books have always been a great hit with my family, and I am glad to see these books continue with the great new additions from the Living Lights series.  If you have little ones in your family, consider picking up these books and get some great conversations started in your family that help them think about what God would have us do in our relationships with others.

***I received this book free from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Free Clubhouse Magazine Trial

 

Try 3 issues of the Adventures in Odyssey Clubhouse® (ages 8-12) OR Clubhouse Jr.® (ages 3-7) magazine for free!

Created with kids in mind, Focus on the Family offers a world of fun and imagination through short stories, jokes, puzzles, and games as well as recipes and activities to do as a family. Plus, what child doesn’t like mail? Your child will enjoy getting this entertaining magazine each month in the mail.

Click here to sign up for the free Clubhouse® magazine trial.

Click here to sign up for the free Clubhouse Jr.® magazine trial.

Grow Your Child's Faith This Summer!

Now is the time to make sure your kids have the greatest adventure this summer with more than 800 Adventures in Odyssey episodes and non-stop listening fun! Sign up for the Odyssey Adventure Club today for just $9.99 per month at OACLUB.org.

The Berenstain Bears: School Time Blessings by Mike Berenstain

Mike Berenstain has published another book in the Berenstain Bears' Living Lights series called School Time Blessings. These books are for kids ages 4-8 years old.

From the Back Cover:
It's time for school! Brother and Sister are ready to get busy with all of the things they enjoy about school--but they are nervous about challenges like math and history class. And Honey Bear will be going to nursery school for the first time.  Will the cubs be too nervous to do their very best or will they remember that prayer and God's love are always there to guide them to matter how big the challenge?

My Review:
Every kid is excited a a little nervous when venturing back to school that first week in the fall.  Some things are the same, but a new teacher, and harder classes can be time of insecurity for kids.  Mike addresses these issues in this book as Brother and Sister head back to school.  Even Honey Bear is heading to school this year, and for her it is the first time being away from Mama and Papa.  When the parents notice that the cubs are not truly excited about the new school year, they talk with their kids and help them express what they are feeling.  I appreciated the fact that the parents didn't just talk with their kids, but also showed the cubs some Scripture that they could focus on to remind them that God is always with them. I thought that the book provided a great way to talk with kids about their fears and to point them to Jesus.

***I received this book free from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Make Your Children World Explorers

 

Give your family summer vacation a makeover this year and turn it into a "staycation." Have your kids forget their summer boredom, turn off their screens, and instead circle the globe with Focus on the Family's "World Explorers" summer adventure kit!

Throughout the next two months, travel our colorful, diverse world, visiting 27 different countries on six continents. Part of the fun will be figuring out where the next stop is, using five clues that reveal interesting facts about the next country. Once you've determined where you're going, use the games, activities and faith lessons to give your kids a glimpse into that country's unique culture.

Click here to sign up and receive your free summer adventure kit.

Don’t Be Bored This Summer!

Now is the time to make sure your kids have the greatest adventure this summer with more than 800 Adventures in Odyssey episodes and non-stop listening fun! Sign up for the Odyssey Adventure Club today for just $9.99 per month at OACLUB.org.

Land of Silence by Tessa Afshar

Land of Silence is a new biblical based fiction story from author Tessa Afshar. Have you ever wondered who the lady was that had the issue of blood for 12 years who reached out to touch Jesus and was healed? Let Tessa Afshar take you on an imagined journey as she paints a picture of one possible story for this unknown woman in scripture.

From the Back Cover:
Before Christ called her daughter... Before she stole healing by touching the hem of his garment...
Elianna is a young girl crushed by guilt.  After her only brother is killed while in in her care, Elianna tries to earn forgiveness by working for her father's textile trade and caring for her family.  When another tragedy places Elianna in sole charge of the business, her talent for design brings enormous success, but never the absolution she longs for.  As her world unravels, she breaks off her betrothal to the only man she will ever love.  Then illness strikes, isolating Elianna from everyone, stripping everything she has left.  No physician can cure her.  No end is in sight.  Until she hears whispers of a man whose mere touch can heal.   After so many years of suffering and disappointment, is it possible that one man could redeem the wounds of body, heart, and soul?

My Review:
This story was interesting.  It takes you to a time when politics were on edge, and medical help was lacking.  I cannot imagine living during this time, but through this story I can see a glimpse of what life was like for the woman who suffered for 12 years from a blood issue.  In some ways this story was overwhelming at times.  Her life seems like only continued bad is happening for her.  That kind of made this story hard to get through, and seemed depressing to me.  But, I loved the ending.  It was uplifting and focused on Jesus, the Healer. I loved how Jesus called her daughter, which is the only place in Scripture that he speaks to a woman in that way.  This was a new author for me and I definitely liked Tess Afshar's writing style. I look forward to reading more books by her.

Take some time to watch this promotional video for the book!

***I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Adventures in Odyssey Summer Challenge 2016

This summer, you can join Adventures in Odyssey’s Clubhouse Magazine and help children in the Middle East go to school and learn English. It’s Adventures in Odyssey's Clubhouse Magazine Exercise to Educate summer challenge!

The Problem

Nearly 7,000 miles away from the United States, there's a war going on in the country of Syria. Many families have been forced from their homes. Parents have had to leave their jobs, and children have had to leave behind toys and friends.

Many of these families now live in refugee camps in nearby countries. They have tents instead of houses. Clean water is hard to come by. This war has put 2.6 million children out of school – some for more than four years already.

The Solution

Our friends at Focus on the Family Middle East know many families who don't have the money to buy a school uniform and pay for their children to go to school. They also know people who would love to teach children English in local churches.

You may not have a lot of money to help, but you probably have time, energy and excitement. Here's what you can do:

1. Go to to Whitsend.org/summer.
2. Print a sponsor sheet and exercise to earn points. You can do it for a week or the whole summer – just remember, the more you exercise, the more points you'll earn!
3. Ask your family and friends to sponsor your efforts.
4. Beginning in July, tell us how you did and receive a digital bundle from your friends at Adventures in Odyssey and Focus on the Family. The deadline to submit your information is August 31, 2016. 

For participating and submitting your information, you will get a free Adventures in Odyssey episode from Album 51. You will also get 101 Surefire Ways to Strengthen Your Child's Faith – eBook and the audio book of Imagination Station #1, “Voyage with the Vikings.” Make the most of your summer—exercise for your health and help other kids in need while you do!

Don’t Be Bored This Summer!

Now is the time to make sure your kids have the greatest adventure this summer with over 800 Adventures in Odyssey episodes and non-stop listening fun! Sign up for the Odyssey Adventure Club today for just $9.99 per month at OACLUB.org.

Join Denise Hunter for ‘The Convenient Groom’ Pre-Premiere Facebook Party

 

Exciting news for fans of Denise Hunter's stories: Her book The Convenient Groom is making its silver screen premiere as a Hallmark Channel Original Movie! Join Denise and other readers on Facebook on June 16th for a fun author chat party at 8:00 PM EDT (that's 7:00 Central, 6:00 Mountain, & 5:00 Pacific)! Denise will be chatting about the book, answering your questions about the book-to-movie process, and of course, there will be plenty of fun giveaways too: a $100 Amazon gift card and 25 signed copies of Denise's newest book, The Goodbye Bride!

The movie releases two days after the author chat party on Saturday, June 18th, 9 EDT/8 CDT. Click here for details and to find out more about the movie.

Get your copy of The Convenient Groom so you're ready for a fun book discussion. You can order your copy and find out more about the book here.

Hope to see you on June 16 for Denise's The Convenient Groom Pre-Premiere Facebook Party!